


Inevitable

by DracoGranger4Ever



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/M, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Jealousy, Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2019-09-29 03:25:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17195609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DracoGranger4Ever/pseuds/DracoGranger4Ever
Summary: Draco Malfoy wants his happily ever after with the girl of his dreams, although fate keeps pulling them apart. But has anyone ever been able to avoid the inevitable? After all, it has been a long time coming.





	1. They were inevitable

Draco Malfoy was woken up by the first rays of the morning light filtering in through the curtains of the expansive room. He turned to the beautiful naked woman lying next to him, and smiled contentedly to himself. Today was going to be the day. His first giant leap towards a life filled with love and happiness. He was going to propose to the kind, sweet angel lying next to him, and he was not going to take no for an answer.

He was suddenly lost in the thoughts of how they had reached that point. Yes, the beginning of their relationship was not the greatest, but it all ultimately led to this point in his life. So he was not complaining.

 

_Draco was in a miserable mood as he walked the halls of Hogwarts. This was not how he expected to feel when he wanted to join Voldemort. He was stewing in his own anger and frustration as he rounded a corner, when suddenly he collided with a soft body. A soft body with brown hair._

_“You?”, Draco exclaimed._

_The girl raised her eyebrows and looked at Draco as if he had lost his mind. Draco continued to glare at her but she was never one to back down from him, unlike most other girls he encountered. “Yes, obviously. Lost your mind along with your cockiness, have you? Well, it was a long time coming anyway. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.”, she drawled._

_Draco kept a blank face in spite of his irritation, but there was a dangerous glint in his eyes as he caged the insolent girl against the wall with his arms on either side of her head, and leaned forward to whisper in a threatening voice. “Are you sure you want to get mouthy with me right now? Might just give me some interesting ideas.”_

_“Yeah? Like this?”, she smirked. And with that, she hastily unbuckled his trousers, zipped them open, removed his trousers and boxers together, and kneeled down to take his cock in her mouth in one quick move._

_They had been going on like this for a few months now. They had kept it a secret because they knew nobody would understand, and it was too risky, considering the war they were in. It had started off as a physical thing, but now Draco was not too sure. But he couldn’t voice those feelings, not even to himself. That would be too dangerous for her._

_With these thoughts in mind, Draco brought her to her feet, and hitched one of her legs to his hip, raised her school skirt, shoved her panties to a side, and slowly entered her. No matter how many times they did this, Draco was always surprised to find how well they fit. This abandoned corridor, where they met every time for their romps, was his escape from the harsh realities of his life, where there was no place for her or their relationship._

_She was the light in the darkness of his life. Although he was loathe to admit it, she had begun to change him slowly but surely. She was kind, generous, intelligent and everything that drew his admiration. And whenever he allowed himself to think, he wondered whether they could have a life together if they managed to come out of this war alive._

_As they neared completion, Draco grabbed her voluminous hair, and stared into her eyes, which were filled with warmth and passion. Her hair were his favourite feature of hers, but he would never tell her that. As her inner walls clenched around his cock, bringing them both over the edge, she cried out, “I love you, Draco.”_

_Draco froze, even as his body shook with the tremors of his orgasm. As he regained his composure, he slowly pulled himself out, and dressed himself up, while she righted her clothes. There was an awkward silence, where neither knew what to say. Finally, having reached a decision, Draco cupped her cheek and spoke kindly but firmly. “We won’t be able to do this anymore. I hope you understand.”_

_With a final nod and a sad look, Draco walked away from her, knowing she was too proud to follow him or to try to persuade him otherwise._

 

At that time, Draco was convinced that he had lost his only chance at happiness. But life did indeed give him a second chance. They had not only made it out alive, but they were able to get back together. And this time, although they did not try to hide their relationship, but they did try to keep away from the public eye as much as possible, considering their public profiles.

It had been five years since the end of the war, and they had been together for four of those. They wanted to take things slowly, considering their tumultuous past. But Draco now felt that the time had come for them to take their relationship to the next level.

Draco knew that there was no way that she was going to reject him, but he still couldn’t help feeling a little bit anxious. After the war had ended, Draco was cleared of all charges, due to him being underage. The testimony of Harry Potter and the greasing of a few palms at the Ministry did not hurt either. Draco was let off with a huge fine, which hardly created a dent in his fortunes. With his new-found freedom, Draco left for Paris. He took up his family business from there. He had big dreams for his company, and threw himself wholeheartedly into growing his business. But it was not all work and no play for him. He soon built up the reputation of a playboy for himself. Although the gossip surrounding him was grossly over exaggerated, but he did get around quite a bit. That was until he met her again in Paris, and they started dating.

He was sure that she would not talk to him when he had bumped into her at a French Ministry ball, leave alone give him another chance, considering how they had ended things before. But then, she had always been very forgiving. They picked up from where they had left off, and slowly withdrew from the spotlight to build their relationship away from public scrutiny. Two years ago, she was the one who encouraged him to venture into the Muggle world to further his business. And he had not looked back since then. Although they did suffer a few bumps along the way, but their love for each other still grew by leaps and bounds every day.

As Draco was contemplating all this, the woman next to him stirred awake and cuddled up to him. Draco was instantly aroused, and he started rubbing his erection against her thighs. At this, she giggled and murmured, “You’re insatiable, really.”

Draco quietly agreed, and reached down to finger her pussy. He was not surprised to see that she was already wet, and continued his ministrations till he felt she was ready. He then turned her over and brought her back against his chest. He slowly guided his cock into her pussy, and whispered huskily, “You like that, baby? You like my cock fucking your pretty little pussy?”

“Yes, oh yes!”, she moaned. “Suck my tits, baby. I love your mouth on me.”

Draco did not need to be told twice. He latched on to her right breast, and suckled on it with all he was worth, as he kept on fucking her pussy with deep, steady thrusts. He stopped suckling on her breast, and started fondling both her breasts with his hands, as he ravaged her mouth with his tongue and growled, “Come on my cock, baby. Come for me.”

As she came, screaming out his name, Draco went over the edge too. Pulling out his cock quickly, he grabbed her hair to pull her slightly off her pillow as he came to his knees, and sprayed his come all over her breasts and chin. Then he gave her a bruising kiss, and pulled her to his arms, as he lay down again to bask in their post-coital bliss.

When he regained his senses, Draco smiled at her and said, “Remember today is date night. Don’t get too engrossed at work and stand me up.”

She smiled fondly at him and said, “Like that has ever happened before. My work may be important to me, but you know you always come before everything and everyone to me.”

Draco smiled and kissed her on her forehead. He then got up, and pulled her along with him to the shower, where they proceeded to have another round of sex.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Draco was sipping wine as he sat anxiously in the dimly lit restaurant and waited for her to arrive. They had agreed to meet here, and he had chosen this place as it was the most exquisite restaurant in the city, and he wanted nothing less than the best for this special occasion.

As he looked up, the door to the restaurant opened, and there she was, as resplendent as ever. She was wearing a green dress, it was his favourite colour on her. She was escorted to their table by the host, and he stood up to greet her with a kiss before they took their seats.

Dinner passed uneventfully and they had a great time, but Draco had still not worked up the courage to say what he wanted to say, when their dessert was served. Draco decided now was as good a time as any. As he tried to find the correct words to begin his speech with, she spoke up, “Are you all right, Draco? You look anxious. Any trouble at work?”

He smiled and held her hand before he spoke up, “Everything is fine at work. I was just thinking about us." He then turned serious and asked her, "Are you happy with me, baby? I know I have hurt you too many times, but are we salvageable still?”

She furrowed her brows and looked at him with concern before replying, “What’s brought this on, Draco? Of course I am happy with you, unbelievably so. And you should really leave the past where it belongs. It will not do us any good if we keep bringing it up and get sad about it. I love you, Draco, you know that. And we are not just salvageable, we are inevitable, we always have been.”

Draco nodded his head, but he still couldn’t help but feel anxious as he said, “I don’t know what I did to deserve you baby, but I want to push my luck a bit further here. I want you to know that you have been the shining light in the darkest times of my life. You always make me want to be a better person, if only to deserve you. You have made me feel so loved. Before, I could never understand how I came to have these feelings for you. I mean, you always stood for everything I was brought up to despise. But you helped me find my true self, and now I find we were never too different from each other to begin with.”

“I know I am too greedy to let go of the greatest thing that has ever happened to me, even though I still feel that I don't deserve you. And I absolutely want to spend the rest of my life trying to make myself worthy of you.”

Her eyes had started to mist over, as Draco pulled out the box from his pocket and held it open in front of her, where a diamond ring glittered up to her face. He could almost feel her acceptance as he spoke in a clear and firm voice, “Will you do me the greatest honour by accepting to be my wife, baby? Will you marry me, Astoria Greengrass?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone. This is my first ever creative endeavour. Hope you like it. Feedback is always welcome. Cheers!
> 
> Disclaimer : All Harry Potter characters belong to J. K. Rowling. Only the plot of this fanfiction belongs to me.


	2. Who is selling?

_“Bonsoir, Monsieur Malfoy.”_

  
_“Bonsoir, Monsieur Prudhomme. Comment allez-vous?”_

  
_“Je vais bien, merci.”_ The tall French diplomat shook hands with Draco and turned towards Astoria. He bowed before her and placed a kiss on her gloved right hand. _“Bonsoir, Mademoiselle Greengrass. Vous etes radieux ce soir.”_ Then turning back to Draco, he said, _“Vous etes un homme chanceux, Monsieur Malfoy.”_

  
The group of three went on to engage in more small talk for the next few minutes. This was a familiar routine for the couple. Donatien Prudhomme was one of their closest acquaintances in the French Ministry. Naturally, they ended up spending quite a lot of time in his company at any official Ministry function, like today at the Annual Charity Ball. Draco knew it was only a matter of time before the conversation turned to more serious matters, and as if on cue, Prudhomme spoke up in accented English.

  
“Well, my friends, I have some good news to share with you. The Minister has been kind to appoint me as the next Ambassador to England. I have to say, it was a pleasant surprise for me. No doubt, it will be my great honour to represent my country. Indeed, I am looking forward to this opportunity.”

  
Draco was not happy at all, to say the least. Prudhomme had played a pivotal role in Draco’s meteoric rise in the French business and political circles, and he would have preferred that the Frenchman remain in France, where he could be of more use to Draco. Furthermore, he had not seen this coming at all, and he hated not knowing things. After all, knowledge was very crucial to his success, and he was miffed at being blindsided thus. But the worst part was, he did not have a backup plan, and that was something he was neither accustomed to nor comfortable with. But he put on a smiling face and congratulated Prudhomme. As he started thinking about his various options, Prudhomme spoke up again.

  
“Unfortunately Monsieur Malfoy, I will have to give up some of my responsibilities here.” Draco’s mood soured further at that. “I have decided to give up my seat on the Beauxbatons Council of Governors. The Minister has nicely agreed, but he has asked for my help to find my replacement. So now I am looking for a right person for the job, someone I can trust completely. And I think to myself, who better than Draco Malfoy? I have full faith in your capabilities, and your business ideas have been a boon to our economy. The French people love you and Mademoiselle here, for your generosity, they will trust their child’s future in your hands I am sure. So I ask you, _cher ami_ , will you consider my offer and oblige me greatly?”

  
Draco was not expecting that at all. The night was turning out to be full of surprises for him, and he had yet to determine whether those surprises were good or bad.

  
“You honour me, Monsieur Prudhomme. You are a great friend to put so much trust in me. I do not take your faith in me lightly, and I have to ensure that it is not misplaced. So I ask you to give me some time to think on your offer,” Draco said.

  
“Oh, of course my friend. I would like that you give this proper thought before you give me your answer. And I hope very much that it is a yes, because I think you are just right for this job. You are very smart, Monsieur Malfoy, and we need more young people like you to bring new ideas for our country’s bright future.” Suddenly, he grew solemn. “Unfortunately, not every country realizes that, and they continue to live in the past. Take your old country for example. Such a great tragedy, and they refuse your help. Only because they cannot let go of the past. A shame, really.”

  
The irony of that statement was not lost on Draco. How can he, Draco, accuse someone else of being prejudiced, when he himself had been of the same thing not too long ago? Still, Draco could not help but rue the fact that he was losing out on a great business opportunity because of the British Ministry’s bias against his family. Suddenly, a part of him that he preferred to keep buried in the deep recesses of his being, could not help but wonder if he would be hailed as a hero back home if he could help save all those lives. He quickly dismissed that weird thought, and tuned back in to the conversation at hand, as Astoria and Prudhomme continued to commiserate about the situation in England.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Later that night, Draco sat in the library in front of the fireplace, nursing a glass of firewhiskey and still dressed in his evening wear, when he felt a pair of hands rest on his shoulders. He took Astoria’s right hand in his and placed a kiss on it.

  
“What’s the matter, love? I thought you would be very happy with the offer,” Astoria said, and Draco knew she was referring to Prudhomme’s offer. “Isn’t this what you wanted all along?”

  
It was true. When Draco had taken over the family business, it was already one of the largest in Europe, but the effects of their bad reputation after the War started to spill over to the Malfoy businesses as well, and their prospects began to dwindle in England. That was when Draco decided to shift base in order to give the business a new direction. His hard work and innovative ideas paid off, but Draco was not satisfied with just that. He wanted power and influence as well, like any other Malfoy before him. And that was where his greatest weapon came in – Astoria.

  
She had started several charitable organizations with her family’s influence after graduating from Hogwarts, in order to help those affected by the War. In fact, it was at the French Ministry Ball four years ago, which Astoria had attended to meet prospective donors for her numerous charities, where Draco had met her for the first time after the War. Draco knew that she genuinely cared for her charity work, but he was also aware that she didn’t mind the social capital that came with it. Her charity work had created a lot of goodwill for the couple among the French public.

  
Public goodwill and Draco’s deep pockets ensured that his influence was not restricted to the business world, but extended to the political sphere as well. Of course, Monsieur Prudhomme could also be attributed a fair share of the credit in this. But Draco had not been able to gain any formal title at the French Ministry till now. That’s why, Draco knew, a seat at the Beauxbatons Council was a huge step forward for him, considering his age and the fact that he was not a French national.

  
So, why didn’t he jump immediately at the chance? Of course, he was never one to make rash decisions without giving a matter due consideration. But he knew, this was more than that.

  
Instead of replying, Draco asked, “Do you think I should accept?”

  
Astoria removed her hand from his, and came around to sit in the armchair opposite his. She gazed at him for a while, as if to gauge his thoughts, before she responded, “That depends.”

  
Draco stared at her and asked, “On what?”

  
Astoria took a deep breath, as if bracing herself for a tiresome chore. “Draco, do you ever plan to returning home?”

  
Draco frowned at her. “ _This_ is home now, Astoria. And if you mean England, then I would be a fool to leave everything that I have achieved here to go there, only to struggle again and face ridicule.”

  
Astoria gave him a knowing look. “And yet, the heart wants what it wants, right?”

  
Draco pressed his lips together, and looked away from her towards the fireplace. _Truer words have never been spoken._

  
After a long moment of silence, Draco spoke in a low voice. “It’s not the right time yet.” A pause, and then, in a louder voice, “I should take up the offer now. It would not be wise to let go of such an opportunity. And if I ever decide to go back to England, I can always give it up then.”

  
Astoria nodded. “Yes, you can, love. But it will never be the right time, not unless you make it so.”

  
Draco ruminated on this for a while. “You know, you may be on to something here. Prudhomme going to England may not be as bad as I’d initially thought it would be. Now that he’s going to build up his contacts in the British Ministry, he could come in very handy for us.”

  
Astoria did not look convinced. “That could be a possibility. But you know as well as I do that the British Ministry is not as trusting of outsiders as the French Ministry is. His influence will be limited at best, definitely not good enough to get you a seat at the table. We need a stronger ally.”

  
Draco nodded and said, “I agree. But an ally that strong has to be someone from the Reform Council. And you know my equation with that lot. Maybe Prudhomme can ensure that we get a foot in the door at least, and then we build from there. In any case, he seems to be our best hope for now.”

  
Astoria frowned and asked, “So why don’t we change that?”

  
Draco raised his eyebrow at that. “And how do you propose I do that?”

  
Astoria smirked and responded, “Obviously by the only way rich, unscrupulous men through all ages have achieved their means. Money, of course.”

  
Draco rolled his eyes. “And if that were possible in this case, don’t you think I would have bought my way into British politics by now?”

  
Astoria leaned forward and spoke earnestly. “Anything, and I mean anything, can be bought with money, my love.” As an afterthought, she added, “Except love, of course. But that’s beside the point. Anyway, all you need to know is who is willing to sell, and at what price.”

  
Draco looked suspiciously at her. “Do you happen to know someone like that?”

  
Astoria had a secretive look as she said, “No. Not yet, anyway. Besides, it’s not enough to have an ally. We also need the perfect opportunity to make our presence felt.”

  
Draco knew Astoria was hiding something, but he decided to let it go. She would tell him in her own time, she always did. So, instead, he responded to Astoria. “We have the perfect opportunity right now. But those morons at the Ministry won’t even give me the time of day.”

  
A new disease was currently wreaking havoc in Wizarding Britain. During the War, a group of wizards and witches had been exposed to nuclear radiation through some Muggle contacts, no doubt trying to build Muggle nuclear weapons. The effects of it were not felt until recently, when there was a Dragon Pox outbreak. This new strain was made deadlier and more contagious by the effect of nuclear radiation, and now thousands of lives were in danger, unless it spread to the Muggle world, in which case, the casualty could go up to millions. Draco’s company was reported to be one of only three companies in the entire world who had the fully developed cure to this disease.

  
“Yes. We are running out of time,” Astoria spoke almost to herself.

  
Draco had a strange sense of premonition at those words.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

  
Draco looked across at his fiancée, lying naked and breathing heavily after their recent bout of lovemaking, and reached across to play with her hair. She was truly beautiful, especially when she looked so flushed after being shagged by him. And he hated to bring up the topic that he knew would ruin their post-coital bliss. He had been avoiding this conversation for far too long, but he could not postpone it any further.

  
“Astoria, baby, I was thinking that we should go visit my parents soon. It’s been a month since our engagement. They have the right to know. And the sooner we tell them, the sooner we can make the public announcement,” Draco said in a caressing tone, trying to convince her.

  
As expected, she immediately stiffened, and stared thoughtfully at the ceiling. Draco let her process it, and continued to stroke her hair. The silence was a tense one, which was understandable. My parents were not her biggest fans, even though her family belonged to the Sacred Twenty-Eight. They believed that she had polluted his mind with her unorthodox beliefs, and she would bring shame to the Malfoy family name, if allowed to do so. But Draco didn’t give a damn about what his parents thought. She was all that he could ever ask for, and his parents would not be able to change his mind about her.

  
Yet, he wanted to maintain some semblance of a relationship with them, because after all they were his parents. And so it was important that they receive the news of his engagement from him personally, before the rest of the world knew.

  
After what seemed like a long time to Draco, Astoria turned on her side to face him and said, “You’re right. We should pay them a visit soon.”

  
Draco was surprised that she’d agreed without a fight. He’d thought she would insist on informing them by owl. He was so relieved that he blurted out, “Well, that didn’t take much.”

  
Astoria looked straight into his eyes and spoke seriously, “Some things are too important to avoid, unpleasant though they may be.”

  
Draco had a feeling that Astoria was no longer speaking about their visit to his parents. So he let her continue.

  
“I may not be on the friendliest of terms with your parents. But what I want more than anything else in this world is your happiness, for that I am willing to at least be civil with them.” Again, her words seemed to have a deeper implication.

  
Then, with a challenging look, she asked him, “Can you say the same for yourself, Draco?”

  
Draco’s heart sped up. He could not bring himself to answer her.

  
But Astoria persisted. “Are you ready to make compromises if it means you get what you want?”

  
Draco finally managed to ask, “What is this about, Astoria?”

  
“Remember the conversation we had the other night after the Ball?” When Draco nodded, Astoria took a deep breath and continued, “It’s time we went home, Draco. We may not get another opportunity like this again. We have to make this count.”

  
Draco knew his fiancée too well. “Did you find an ally for us?”

  
Astoria propped herself up on her elbow, and leaned towards Draco as she spoke. “Maybe. But as I said, you have to keep an open mind about this.” She started drawing circles on Draco’s naked chest with her finger.

  
Draco looked away from Astoria, and stared at the ceiling. He could guess why Astoria wanted to return to England so badly, but he’d rather not confront her about it. It was a sore topic for both of them, best left alone.

  
He himself could no longer deny his own desire to return to his home country, even though he knew about the unpleasantness that awaited him if he chose to go down that path. Maybe it was his guilt, maybe it was his desire that had been denied for far too long, that made Draco say, “You’re right. I think it’s time I let go of the past, if I expect others to do the same for me.” Then, dreading the answer, he asked, “So, who is willing to sell?”

  
Astoria gave a relieved smile, and responded cheekily, “Someone I’ve been cozying up to for some time now at my charity events, just for this purpose. A do-gooder like myself, if I may say so. You want to take a guess?”

  
But Draco was not in the mood for games. He was already on edge because of the entire situation at hand. In a swift move, he got up and pinned Astoria to the bed on her back, and held both her hands on either side of her. He pressed his body against hers and growled close to her face, “Who is it, Astoria?”

  
Astoria’s eyes instantly filled with lust, and just before capturing his lips in a heated kiss, she spoke clearly, “Ginny Weasley.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to apologize beforehand if I have got any of the French terms or mannerisms wrong. I am not French and relied on Google to get me through the French parts. 
> 
> All Harry Potter characters belong to J K Rowling, only the plot belongs to me.


	3. Friends with Harry Potter?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took longer to post. Next one won't take so long, hopefully. This is the longest chapter so far. Hope you like it.

Draco stepped out of the Floo into the receiving room of his family home. He always arrived at the Manor before Astoria, he did not trust his parents to not hex her. He knew that was a bit paranoid on his part, especially considering the fact that though his mother would always receive him at the Floo when he visited alone, the same courtesy was never extended to her son’s girlfriend. Still, he preferred not to take any chances when it came to Astoria and his parents.

He had just cleaned the soot from his dress robes, and looked up to spot an old house-elf, when Astoria stepped out of the Floo behind him. As Astoria cleaned off her elegant navy blue dress robes, the elf bowed in an exaggerated manner, and after greeting them, informed them that the Master and Mistress of the Manor were waiting for them in the formal dining room.

Draco frowned. The formal dining room was only for outsiders, and the family dining room was reserved only for family and very close friends. His parents never missed a chance to slight Astoria. But he knew to pick his battles wisely. Tonight was going to be very difficult as it is, what with their impending announcement. But he would not condone this behaviour after Astoria became his wife.

He turned to Astoria and gave her a reassuring smile, which she returned instantly. She looked so beautiful in those dress robes, and her smile always lifted his spirits. She took her arm and he escorted her to the dining room. His father sat at the head of the table and his mother sat to his right. Both wore stiff formal expressions, but he did not miss the delight in his mother’s eyes when they landed on him.

They walked up to his parents, where Draco proceeded to greet his mother with a kiss on her cheek and his father with a handshake. Astoria and his mother shared air kisses, and his father gave her a stiff nod. Before Draco took his seat on his father’s left, he pulled out the chair next to his own for Astoria. After they had settled in, Lucius signalled the elves to serve the first course.

As they tucked into their food, Lucius spoke up, “So, how have you been, son?”

Draco had the opening he required. He could delay the announcement till the end of the meal. But that would just result in his parents storming off, and their resentment would fester till their next meeting. There was also a chance that they could storm off now, but he knew his parents laid too much emphasis on good manners to leave in the middle of a meal. So he decided to take his chances.

“Good, Father. Business is great, as you already know. So no worries on that front.” A pause, then. “But it’s not just that. I have some great personal news to share with you as well. That is the main purpose of our visit tonight.”

If he had to describe his parents’ expressions at that moment, it would be a mix of anticipation and dread. Did they suspect something, something they wouldn’t like?

“Do tell”, his father said in a neutral voice.

He turned to Astoria and with a strained smile, took hold of her left hand and held it up, with the diamond on the ring turned towards his parents. Somewhere in his mind, he noted that they had missed such a large piece of jewellery, especially his mother, which just showed how much they tried to ignore Astoria’s presence. But he shoved that thought aside, and announced, “I asked Astoria for her hand in marriage, and she has graciously accepted my proposal.”

He felt a very small pang of guilt, when he saw his parents’ horrified expression, but that was replaced with amusement when he saw the smug expression on his fiancée. No one spoke for a very long time. Draco started squirming internally, and he could feel Astoria starting to get irritated. But his parents continued to stare at him and the ring in turns, with a disbelieving expression.

Then, suddenly his mother blurted out, “Is she pregnant?”

Draco scowled at his mother and replied harshly, “No, mother. And what does it matter if she is pregnant? It would not have any bearing on our engagement.”

His mother ignored his last comment and breathed out with obvious relief. “Thank Merlin for small mercies.”

Draco raised his brows at his mother and said, “Just so you know, we do intend to have children of our own eventually. So don’t get your hopes up just yet.”

His mother glared at him but didn’t say anything. Lucius cleared his throat and managed to say, “I believe congratulations are in order then. So, where do you plan to hold the wedding ceremony? Certainly, expecting you to choose the Manor would be too much to hope for on our part. After all, we would be so lucky to receive even an invite.”

Draco had expected an adverse reaction, but even then he was taken aback by his father’s words. He knew he had maintained his distance from them after the War, but surely they didn’t think so less of him. The words were obviously meant to hurt Draco, but he wondered if they hurt his father more than they did him.

But, he was his father’s son. “As always, you thought the worst of me, Father. Sorry to disappoint you yet again. Not only do we intend to have the wedding at the Manor, but we are thinking about moving back to England as well.”

At least his parents didn’t seem unhappy about _that_ bit of news. Was he actually afraid that they wouldn’t be happy to have him back?

“Really, sweetheart? That’s the best piece of news that I have heard all night.” Yes, his mother did get sorted into Slytherin after all.

Anyone else, and Astoria would have immediately responded in kind. But she never took on his parents if she could help it. It could be because of her love for him, or maybe she was intimidated by them. Either way, she kept quiet, and only managed to draw her lips into a thin line.

“But what about the business? Surely, it could be run from here. But it is like an unwritten rule that the owner should always be at the heart of his business, and that, in your case my son, is France.” Lucius asked. 

Oh how concerned his father was about the _business_ , now when it stood against his son returning home - the same son who had restored the _business_ in the first place, when he himself had all but ruined it with his brilliant decisions. If only he had thought about his _business,_ when he decided to take up with the Dark Lord. But then, it’s always so much easier to preach than to practice, isn’t it Father?

“I agree. Which is precisely why I have decided to set up my new headquarters here.” His father opened his mouth to interrupt him, but he continued. “I need to make a huge statement and ingratiate myself into British society again. And what better time than now? Once I have the Dragon Pox cure deal in place, I will have the Ministry and the public eating out of my hands in no time.” That came out more dramatic than what he had intended.

His father had a smug expression now. “But for that to happen, you need an influential Ministry contact who will not only forward, but also endorse, your proposal. Planning on a Hogwarts reunion anytime soon?”

Now it was my turn to look smug. I grinned at Astoria, who wore a triumphant expression, and said, “Well, the future Lady Malfoy has already taken care of that. We meet Potter and his girlfriend next Saturday.” He couldn’t help the ‘Lady Malfoy’ part. Astoria had had a very bad night so far; besides she truly deserves full credit here.

He thought he saw his father’s face fall for a split second. But it was his mother who spoke. “You know you could have asked us for help as well.” What did she mean? She had just saved Potter once, and Potter had paid her back by testifying for her family. They were no friends, at least as far as Draco knew.

“What are you friends with Potter now?” Draco drawled mockingly. His mother just shook her head, which could either mean her answer to his question, or her exasperation with him.

“Well, that’s moot now in any case, isn’t it? Anyway, we are glad that you will be coming back home.” Lucius said. At least, there’s that, Draco thought.

“Actually, we were thinking if we could stay here till our meeting with Potter. I’d like to take this time to visit our local branch here. It’s big enough to work as the headquarters again, of course, but I want to take stock of all the changes that we need to make.”

“Of course you can stay here, it’s your home too. And I’m happy that you like to plan ahead. But don’t get your hopes up yet. You have yet to get your proposal accepted.” Lucius’ warning was warranted, but Draco was pretty well versed with this game.

“Well, from what Astoria tells me, the Weasley girl is completely on board. And she is very much capable of convincing Potter as well. All that is left is to stroke Potter’s ego, which we will be doing on Saturday. Once Potter agrees, well, who can say no to the Chosen One, right?” He could perhaps have been a bit less cocky, but he just couldn’t resist in front of his father.

It was his mother who replied with a smirk. “Don’t be so sure of that, darling.”

 

* * *

 

 

_Draco was very excited as he ran down the stairs and headed to the dining room for his breakfast. It was his birthday after all, and that meant presents. But he slowed down to a walk as he approached the dining room. His parents wouldn’t approve of his running around._

_His mother greeted him with a hug and a kiss on his either cheek. While he mostly welcomed any kind of affection from his mother, he was in a hurry now to get at his presents. And for that to happen, he had to finish his breakfast first. After his father wished him, he settled down in his seat and wolfed down his breakfast._

_His mother smiled fondly at him. His father didn’t smile, but his eyes held amusement in them._

_After what felt like ages, his parents finished their breakfast, and he was literally bouncing in his seat with anticipation. Even his father’s disapproving frown couldn’t curb his enthusiasm._

_When he was almost about to jump out of his seat, a house-elf appeared with a long package. He was surprised, as he always received his pile of presents in their drawing room. But he realized the reason for this change in custom. It was his eleventh birthday after all, he would be going to Hogwarts this year, which called for a special gift._

_And indeed it was a very special gift. The new Nimbus 2000, customised just for him. He immediately took it outside and went for a ride. He was so excited. This broom was all the craze now, and he couldn’t wait to show it off to his new friends at Hogwarts._

_When he grew tired of flying, he kept on tinkering with the new broom till it was time for lunch. He went to put his broom in his broom closet before heading for lunch. As soon as he entered the closet, his good mood vanished. Where was his old broom?_

_After putting away the new broom, he joined his parents in the dining room. As soon as he sat down, he asked his mother, “Mother, I can’t find my old broom. Do you know if the elves have moved it somewhere?”_

_It was his father who replied. “You don’t need that old broom anymore. You have a new, better one. I have asked the elves to remove it to the old shed, and that is where it shall remain.”_

_“But Father, I like that broom. It’s mine. Why can’t I use both, at least for now?”_

_“Malfoys don’t use old tattered things. We can afford the best, and we always get the best. You will not fly on an old broom like a Weasley. Now forget about that broom and finish your lunch.”_

_Draco ate his lunch sullenly, but knew better than to argue with his father._

_The next day, as he was flying on his old broom, he couldn’t help but miss his old broom. After the initial excitement had worn off, he realized that although the new Nimbus had superior features, his old broom suited his flying style more._

_After a few days, he decided to get his old broom back from the shed. He was not enjoying flying his new broom very much. But his father would not approve, and he did not want to look like a Weasley. So he decided to get his old broom and fly it in secret._

_There was a slight problem though. The old shed was located deep inside the forest on the Malfoy estate. And Draco was afraid of venturing there alone. But if he asked one of the house-elves to accompany him, they would surely inform his father._

_So he decided to be brave and go alone._

_He decided to set out one afternoon, when his father was not at home, and his mother was entertaining some of her friends. He entered the forest and hurried along quickly but quietly in the direction of the shed._

_As he moved through the forest, he felt as if someone or something was following him. But when he looked around there was no one. He had a growing sense of dread as he moved deeper into the forest, and many times he was almost on the verge of turning back. But he just couldn’t make himself give up. He picked up his pace, and started sweating profusely._

_As he finally approached the wooden shed after what seemed like hours, he saw that the area surrounding it was thick with trees and had very less light. He almost turned back around at that, as he knew that the shed had no windows and was completely dark inside. But in spite of everything, he couldn’t help the excitement he felt at the possibility of flying his old broom again. So he took a deep breath, and went up to the door._

_As he unlocked the door quietly and opened it slowly, his entire face was covered with sweat, both from nervousness and anticipation. The moment he set foot inside, he heard a shuffling sound coming from somewhere to his left. With a wildly beating heart, he spun around quickly. As soon as he did, he let out a high-pitched scream, when he saw a creature lunging towards him._

 

* * *

 

 

Draco opened the doors to the library and quietly stepped inside, before closing them behind him. He looked around the room and headed straight towards an aisle that he had not visited for a long time, even with his regular trips to the Manor library whenever he came for a visit.

He was tracing the spines of the books with his fingers as he perused them, when his fingers stopped on one particular book and he pulled it from the shelf. He went to sit on the armchair in front of the fireplace, and opened the book on his lap. But he did not take in the words, and just stared unseeingly at the pages as he turned them slowly.

After some time he grew restless, and placed the book on the side table and got up and walked to the window. He didn’t realize how long he had been staring out at the Manor grounds, when the door opened and closed again. He didn’t turn around, she always knew when he needed her.

A soft hand caressed his hair gently, and he leaned in to the touch. “What’s wrong, my dragon?”

He didn’t reply, just relaxed under her touch. She removed her hand after some time, and Draco turned around to see her move towards the table near the fireplace and pick up the book he had left there.

After giving it a cursory glance, she put it down and looked at him. “Nervous about tonight?”

Draco scowled and turned around again to stare out the window. “Don’t be silly, Mother. I have been doing this for a long time now and quite successfully at that. Besides, it’s only Potter.”

She nodded her head. “That may be so. But it’s been a long time since you’ve last seen him. He’s changed, so have you”

Draco once again wondered how close his mother had gotten to Potter whilst he was away. “How would _you_ know that? Are you friends with Harry Potter now, Mother?” He couldn’t help the slight accusatory tone.

His mother didn’t seem the least bit phased. “Well, not really. But we do bump into each other quite often in society. At least enough to know that he has matured quite a lot over the years.”

“Well, so have I Mother. I am no longer a snivelling brat, who lets Potter save his life and play the hero every time. I have achieved a lot on my own, and he will be meeting a grown-up and mature man today, who takes pride in his accomplishments.”

His mother had a knowing look when she said, “But you’re not sure that you still measure up to him.” He was so wrong before, he did not need her now. He turned away from his mother and stared out the window again.

He heard his mother move and stand next to him. “Draco, you _have_ accomplished a lot. Your father and I couldn’t be prouder of you. But you have to stop trying to measure up to other people’s standards. Set your own standards sweetheart, and try to meet _those_. Tell me, are _you_ happy with your life at the moment?”

Draco turned and gave his mother an even look. “I just announced my engagement this week. What do you think?”

His mother didn’t miss a beat. “I think your answer was not an emphatic yes. Come on, Draco. You put your engagement news in the personal announcements section of the Daily Prophet.”

Draco raised an eyebrow and looked at his mother as if to say ‘Of course I did’.

Narcissa sighed and said, “The son I know would announce his engagement news on the front page of every newspaper and magazine in the Wizarding World, not just a few lines in one small corner on the fifth page of just one newspaper.”

Draco rolled his eyes. “The Daily Prophet is the largest publication in Britain. And I want my first big news after my return to be about the Dragon Pox potion, not my personal life. It was a strategic decision Mother. Don’t read too much into it and don’t start forming your own theories. I am very happy with this engagement, and don’t plan on breaking it.”

Narcissa smiled, but seemed to accept his explanation. Thank Merlin, because he did not want his mother getting any wrong ideas. He did feel slightly guilty for making his parents unhappy with his decision, and a part of him still coveted his parents’ approval. Before he could stop himself, he was speaking again.

“Tell me something Mother, why don’t you and father approve of her? She is a Pureblood after all, and a Sacred Twenty-Eight to boot. What possible reason could you have of considering her to be unworthy of being my wife? Her family stayed neutral in the War and their reputation is untarnished unlike ours. In fact, an association with her family could possibly repair  _our_ family name. So why don’t you approve?”

Narcissa gave him a sad look and shook her head. “You have grown too far apart from us Dragon. You don’t even know us anymore. But there is one thing that hasn’t changed. Your happiness remains our primary concern. And it will remain so always.”

Draco scoffed. “Sure. Your concern, that led me to such unmatched glory. Youngest Death-Eater, indeed”

He regretted it the moment he said it. But just couldn’t help his bitterness. It was one of the reasons why he chose to leave the Manor after the War. He had grown extremely resentful of his parents, and the only way to salvage whatever was left of his relationship with them was to put some distance between them. It had been going fine for some time, till Astoria came back to his life.

His mother grew stoic and straightened up. “I hope at least it taught you to be your own man and not be led around by someone else’s opinion.” Her tone softened a bit then. “Open up your heart and your mind, Draco. You are young still and have a chance to shape your life as you want.”

“Right. And that is exactly what I am doing tonight. Well, I’m glad we had this little chat, but I have to get going now or we will be late for our appointment.”

“Of course, darling. But remember, be on your best behaviour. Put aside your pride and insecurities, and let them see the wonderful man that you have become.”

Draco rolled his eyes, before saying goodbye to his mother and leaving the Library.

 

* * *

 

 

Draco observed the décor of the restaurant discreetly. He would never be caught staring like that. But he had to admit, that he was pleasantly surprised by the place. It seems Wizarding Britain had started letting Muggle influence into their society. His father managed whatever little business interests he had in England till now, and his visits home were restricted to the Manor. So he was mostly unaware of the changes in British Wizarding society till now.

The venue was chosen by their hosts, of course. And Draco arrived just in time. He did not want to be tardy and seem unprofessional, but he did not come early either or he would come across as too eager. He was a bit miffed that the man at the front desk did not recognize him on sight. That was uncommon for a Malfoy.

As soon as he gave his name, the maître was summoned, who led them to a large private booth. A very pretty girl with red hair was seated facing the entrance, but his eyes automatically sought out the unruly mass of raven hair, whose owner sat facing away from them.

Instantly, Draco was flooded with a rush of memories. The last time he had seen Potter was at his trial. They had not exchanged a single word during the proceedings. After the trial was over, Draco had approached Potter to shake hands and thank him for his testament. Potter had in turn thanked him for not identifying him at the Manor. Then they wished each other well and went their separate ways.

There was no warmth in the few words spoken between them, and Draco had never apologized for his previous actions. He wondered if that would be an impediment in his dealings with Potter going forward. Surely, he didn’t expect Draco to apologize now. It was probably too late for that now anyway, and Draco wasn’t even sure he _wanted_ to. He remembered his mother’s words, and decided to put his best foot forward today. Yes, Potter he could deal with. Yet, he could not shake off the restless feeling he had had since the day began.

As soon as Weasley spotted them, she gave a warm smile and got up to greet them. It was obvious that Astoria had worked her magic on the redhead, and Weasley held genuine affection for his fiancée. That instantly got her a lot of good points in Draco’s book.

The two women hugged each other and I took in the youngest Weasley. She had always been pretty and popular among the boys, but now she had grown into a confident young woman. She was wearing an emerald green short dress, which drew attention to her beautiful figure and made her look elegant. Her long red hair was down, and Draco had to admit that Potter had done very well indeed for himself.

But he knew he wasn’t missing out on anything. His fiancée looked ravishing tonight. Astoria was wearing a khaki off-the-shoulder backless short dress. Draco just wanted to run his hands over the smooth expanse of her back, but had to hold himself back in front of others. Her red-painted lips were begging to be kissed, and Draco couldn’t wait for this evening to end so that he could take her back home and ravish her thoroughly.

He was shaken out of his lustful thoughts as Weasley spoke up. “Hello Malfoy. It’s been a long time.”

Draco gave her a charming smile and said, “Indeed, Miss Weasley. It’s nice to see you again. You look lovely as always.”

Weasley smiled and said, “Please, call me Ginny. It’s nice to see you too.” Turning to Astoria, she said, “Astoria, meet my boyfriend and the love of my life, Harry Potter” and gestured towards Potter. Draco thought that was a surprisingly modest introduction for Potter. The couple had the whole modest-and-in-love thing going quite well for them.

Potter shook hands with Astoria and greeted her politely. Then he turned towards Draco and said in an equally polite manner, “Malfoy”, and nodded at him.

Draco nodded back politely and Potter said, “Let’s have a seat, shall we?” Weasley, er, Ginny retook her previous seat and slid in, and Potter sat next to her. Astoria and Draco sat opposite to them, with Draco sitting opposite Potter.

Immediately, a waiter came up to their table with a champagne bottle, and beamed at us, “Good evening, everyone. I will be your server tonight. Here’s our menu for the night. In addition, if you have any special request for the chef, we will try to accommodate that as well. And this is complimentary of the house, our very best. We hope you enjoy this. I will be back shortly to take your order.”

Draco guessed his host for tonight was the reason for this service. After the waiter left, Draco quickly made his selection. He was eager to get to the matter at hand as soon as possible. This meeting was so unnerving for him, and he wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible.

Even after Astoria and Ginny were done with their selection, Potter seemed unable to make a decision. Really, how complicated could it be to decide on something, even if it was Potter’s first time here, which Draco was sure was not the case. Was Potter playing some mind game here? Was he trying to frustrate Draco and unsettle him by dragging this out? In that case, he had chosen the wrong person, because Draco could play this game as long as Potter wanted.

Draco smirked internally, and relaxed in his seat, ready to play this out, when his attention was drawn towards Ginny, who said, “What is he doing here? Did you know he was coming here tonight?”

Draco was instantly on edge. Ginny was looking at the entrance behind Draco, and his stomach plummeted for some unknown reason.

As if in slow motion, he craned his head around slowly, and sure enough, Ron Weasley stood at the entrance. At the same moment that Draco saw him, Ron had spotted them, and raised his hand in greeting towards his sister and best friend.

Just when Draco thought this evening could not get any worse, Ron Weasley strode towards their booth, and as he moved away from the entrance, Draco cursed internally as his eyes met the warm brown ones of Hermione fucking Granger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, our favourite war heroine is finally here. We will meet her in the next chapter.
> 
> All Harry Potter characters belong to J K Rowling, only the plot belongs to me.


	4. Triple date with the Golden Trio

Granger’s eyes lingered on him for maybe half a second, just enough to recognize him, and then moved on to someone behind him. Draco knew he should have instantly turned around, but he could not stop himself from taking her in fully before turning around.

The first thing that he noticed about her was her hair. It was not as wild as before, but it was still her most recognizable feature. She was wearing a black one-shoulder dress, which was so figure-hugging that Draco could take a good guess at how full her breasts were. It was a short dress, and Draco couldn’t help noticing how long her legs were in those red high heels.

As Granger made her way towards their table, Draco turned around and saw Weasley talking to Potter. “…and we thought this place would be perfect. You don’t mind if we join you?”

As soon as Potter turned towards us, Astoria spoke up. “Of course, we don’t mind, do we Draco? After all, the more the merrier,” she said kindly. Draco knew there was no way for them to refuse, but he that didn’t mean he was any happier with the outcome.

It had taken a lot for him to bring himself up to meet Potter today. But he was just not ready to take on the whole bunch at the same time so early on.

With Potter and Weasley, he had an understanding of where they stood with each other.

Potter was his main rival throughout his formative years, and Draco had matured enough by now to acknowledge the rivalry was fuelled in large part by his own jealousy of the dark-haired wizard. He would also go so far as to say he had a small amount of begrudging respect for Potter.

With Weasley, it was simpler. Draco was the stereotypical school bully and Weasley was his favourite punching bag just because he was very easy to get to. But Draco never harboured any deep negative feelings towards Weasley, even with their families’ long-standing rivalry.

Granger, on the other hand, was a different story. He never held any personal grudges against her, and hardly interacted with her over the years. Yet, she always remained on the edge of his conscience. And Draco could not for the life of him decide exactly what role Granger played in his early life. So he had long ago decided it must not be very important to warrant much thought.

And now that they were all here, he felt pretty much out of his elements to deal with the situation at hand.

Weasley turned towards Astoria with a pleasant smile and said, “Astoria Greengrass, right? Ron Weasley, pleased to meet you.” And he shook hands with her. Then he gave me a curt nod and said, “Malfoy.”

I returned the nod, and then Granger joined us. She gave Astoria a warm smile and said, “I hope we are not interrupting anything. Hermione Granger.” And she held out her hand to Astoria. Of course she was interrupting something, and she bloody well knew it. So this was the reason for Potter’s delaying tactics.

Astoria introduced herself. Then Granger wiped off her smile before turning to him. “Malfoy” she nodded. “Granger,” he replied formally, but didn’t even bother to nod.

It was a semi-circular booth, so Granger slid up next to Potter, and Weasley took the seat next to her, opposite Draco. It was a very close seating arrangement, which added to Draco’s discomfort. For Merlin’s sake, they were on a business dinner, not a fucking group outing.

The waiter came up with more menu cards, and placed them in front of the new arrivals. As they were looking through the menu, Draco observed Granger discreetly.

She was always the quiet, intelligent one, who never spoke to Draco unless absolutely necessary. When she did, they were always quick-witted retorts, which put Draco in his place, and left him blabbering out stupid, unoriginal insults like ‘filthy, Mudblood’.

She still had a quiet demeanour, but she was just not the same person she was back then. Not just in terms of looks. There was this whole confidence and aura around her, that demanded attention whenever she walked into a room. She was a brilliant witch before, but now she possessed a sense of self-assuredness as well, which made her a very formidable opponent. Draco knew he had to tread extra carefully when it came to dealing with Granger.

They quickly made their choices, including Potter of course, and the waiter left after taking their order.

“So, I believe congratulations are in order,” Granger said to Astoria, who looked a bit caught off-guard by the sudden observation.

Astoria followed Granger’s gaze and looked down at her ring and laughed out, “Oh, right, yes. Thank you.” The Weasley siblings looked surprised as well, but not Potter. He must have noticed earlier, but hadn’t brought it up then.

“Oh, that’s such a beautiful ring”, Ginny gushed. Granger smiled politely, but her eyes said she did not agree. Like anybody cared about her opinion. Haughty, arrogant bitch.

“Thanks, Ginny. I would have told you earlier, but we were just waiting to inform our parents before we shared the news with everyone else.”

“Of course. So, have you set a date yet?” Ginny asked.

“Not yet, but soon enough.”

At that moment, the waiter came up with their first course. Once he left, Granger spoke up. “So, Astoria, how is it living in France?”

Granger and small talk? Not that Draco knew her that well, but still, it seemed uncharacteristic of her.

“It’s a beautiful country, and the people are even better. It’s a very meritocratic society there. Not at all prejudiced”

Granger’s eyes cut to Draco, and she said with a wry smile, “So Malfoy must have fit right in over there.”

Draco started to think about the pros and cons of answering her back, when Ginny said, “Based on what Astoria has been telling me about Malfoy’s successes there, I would say he has”

Draco smiled fondly at his fiancée, and brought up her hand to kiss it. “Well, she may have a slightly biased opinion.” He had aimed for humility, but he knew he had made a tactical error.

And Granger was quick to latch on to the chance. She looked at Draco and said with a raised brow, “Is that so?”

Astoria turned to Granger and said firmly, “I’m sure that’s not true. Draco is just too humble to acknowledge how good he is.”

Draco almost winced at that, and not too soon. Weasley hid his snicker with a cough, but of course nobody was fooled.

“We have no doubt about that,” Weasley said. Granger just smirked at Astoria.

Astoria straightened up and spoke directly to Granger. “Well, it is true. Draco has been instrumental in a lot of recent developments in France. His company has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years. Take his Potions division for example. It is one of only three companies in the world that have the cure for this Dragon Pox outbreak, and the only one with a market-ready one.”

Astoria tried to look smug, but came out looking defensive.

“How did you come up with a cure so quickly? I mean, the outbreak started just over two months ago. Doesn’t the cure take years to develop?” Potter asked.

“We already had the cure,” Draco replied.

“Well, isn’t that fortuitous?” The bitch was really getting on Draco’s nerves.

He gave Granger a hard look and said, “It’s not the first time something like this has happened. After a nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, a similar outbreak happened in the continent. A small German company then came up with this cure, but it took a very long time and by that time it was too late and a lot of magical folk had already died. But it did stop the disease from spreading to the Muggle world. But the company never recovered its profits. They were looking to sell and I bought it then.”

“Why in the name of Merlin would you want to buy a loss-making business, Malfoy? Makes no sense if you ask me,” Weasley said with a shrug.

Draco thought this was starting to look more like an interrogation. So he decided to put a stop to it. “Well, I had my reasons. All I can say is that it made good business sense to me.”

Weasley just shrugged and went back to his food. Potter had a curious expression on his face, and Granger was giving him a calculating look.

“Be that as it may, it’s lucky for us that Malfoy has the cure. I have asked Harry if he could arrange for you to present your proposal to the Minister.” As soon as Ginny said this, Granger gave her a look, which Draco could not decipher. All he could say was it was not a very pleasant look.

Potter pushed his glasses up his nose and said, “Yes, about that. The situation at present is indeed very worrisome for us. But I would like to know what your proposal is, Malfoy, before I take it up with the Minister.”

Finally, they were getting somewhere. Draco was all business as he said, “I think you will be happy with my proposal, Potter. We will provide the cure at a very subsidized rate, as it seems that the disease has affected all sections of society and needs to be available to as many people as possible. But I would need to recover my costs from somewhere else. So, I would like the Ministry to reinstate my company as the sole supplier of potions to St. Mungo’s.”

Granger had a satisfied look on her face, as if vindicated, as if all was right again with the world. Of course, she had expected that. She was a smart one, and this was not her first dealing with the Malfoys. They were never known to be altruistic in nature, but this was more than that.

Draco did not need this concession at the moment, per se. When he sold the cure at low rates and more people got cured because of it, it would improve his public image immensely. And his company was quite capable of taking the financial hit.

But if he was only the giver in this transaction, he would come across as desperate, and the balance of power will forever shift against him. He had to come into this as equals, and as such, needed to extract something in return, to show that this was just business-as-usual for him, and not a desperate attempt to claw back into British Wizarding society.

“And how long would you like this contract to last?” asked Granger in a tone that suggested she was seriously considering this.

“A decade.” He could achieve his purpose in just five years.

Granger just nodded and went back to eating, but Draco knew that did not necessarily mean her acquiescence to his proposal. It was Potter who spoke next.

“Malfoy, you do know that it’s not just the Minister who will take the final call. You have to convince the Reform Council as well. Of course, Hermione and I have already got the gist of your proposal tonight, but you have to come and make a formal presentation to the entire Council. I will speak to the Minister and the Council to set up a date for your presentation. Once we do that, the Ministry will send you a formal invite.”

“Sure Potter.” Truth be told, Draco had not expected Potter to agree to a meeting so easily. He was a bit surprised, but wary at the same time.

Draco decided now that the main purpose of the meeting was served, a change of topic was in order.

No sooner had Draco thought this, when Ginny Weasley spoke up. “Well, that’s settled then.” Turning to Astoria, she said, “I had something else that I wanted to ask you. I was thinking if you and Malfoy could join us tomorrow at the Charity Quidditch match. Ron, Harry and I will be playing of course, and then we can go to the after-party together.”

Oh, hell no. Astoria seemed to read his mind. “Oh we would have loved that. But we have to attend a dinner party tomorrow, so we will be leaving in the morning. Sorry, Ginny.” Astoria looked truly sorry, and Draco realized she had started to have genuine affection for the Weasley girl. Well, Draco wasn’t bothered by that. She may be a Weasley, but she had turned out to be very helpful to them so far.

Ginny looked genuinely disappointed, but it was her brother who said, “That’s too bad. Hermione could have really used the company. She was complaining about having to sit alone in the VIP lounge area.”

It took all of Draco’s restraint to not gape incredulously at Weasley. Had the red-head gone crazy? His intelligence levels had definitely not improved over the years. How else could someone think that Hermione Granger would prefer his company to sitting alone in a Quidditch match? She would always bring a book to read at the Gryffindor games. Certainly, she’d prefer that to hanging out with a Slytherin Pureblood couple.

But even more surprising was Granger’s reaction, or more precisely, the lack of it. Maybe she was confident that they wouldn’t take up the offer.

“Well I suppose we could join you for some time then, till it’s time for us to leave for the party.” Did he just say that? Maybe they could benefit from this as well. Astoria could work her magic on the harpy, and he would get to enjoy a good game of Quidditch. If only he could play as well. Hopefully, soon enough. Astoria briefly glanced at him, before pasting on a smile and nodding to the others.

“Wonderful.” Granger’s face said the exact opposite, and Draco almost smirked at that.

Ginny declared her happiness at this, and told them where and when they were to meet tomorrow.

By that time, they had finished their meal, much to Draco’s relief. They settled the bill and got up to leave. Draco observed Weasley helping Granger into her coat as he and Potter did the same for their partners. Well, it seems he just had a triple date with the Golden Trio. How times had changed.

As they stood outside, Astoria and Ginny continued to chatter on about wedding preparations. Although Granger stood with them, with a look of polite interest on her face, she never made any comment. Of course, expecting her to behave like any other normal girl would be too much. All of a sudden, his plan for tomorrow didn’t seem very appealing.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

When they entered the Manor, his parents were nowhere to be found. He supposed that was to be expected. It was pretty late and they must have retired for the night. By the time they reached his bedroom, he felt relieved at having survived the night without any incident, but he was completely drained, both physically and mentally.

 He had just removed his jacket and was tugging at his tie, when Astoria came in front of him and stood with his back to her. She smiled seductively over her shoulder at him, and said “Unzip me?”

Draco unzipped her quietly, and moved away to his walk-in closet. He took a fresh set of pyjamas and went into the en-suite bathroom to change. When he came out, he saw Astoria sitting on the bed facing him, and holding up her dress to her chest.

“What’s wrong, love?” she asked. That damn question again.

“I need to think again about moving back here. We are happy where we are now. I don’t think all this is worth my peace of mind.”

Astoria sighed and said, “Draco, what are you talking about? They were perfectly cordial with us. What you had with them was a silly childhood rivalry, and that was a long time ago. You have all grown up. They didn’t seem to harbour any bad feelings towards you. So where is this coming from?”

Draco scoffed. “Are you serious? Didn’t you hear what that Mudblood said about me?”

Draco realized his mistake even before Astoria gave him a stony glare. “You know how I feel about that foul word. And you just proved her right.”

He thought some damage control was in order. “See what I mean. We’ve just been on just one dinner with them, and we are fighting already. I don’t know what it is about them, but they just bring out the worst in me, Astoria. And, this situation is much more complicated than some silly childhood rivalry. You were not there. You won’t understand. We have too much bad history.”

Astoria gave him an even look. “We are not fighting Draco, I am just displeased at your use of that foul word, and you know you have no one else but yourself to blame for that.” Her tone softened a bit as she said, “In any case, I won’t force you into anything. But you know you have to let go of the past in order to move forward. And coming to Granger, I will handle her tomorrow. You don’t have to talk to her.”

He clenched his fists and muttered, “Fine.”

Astoria walked up to him with a smile and said, “You are just stressed out with everything, sweetheart. I know it must have been hard for you to see them after all this time. But it’s over now.”

Draco sighed and said, “But we do have the game tomorrow.”

Astoria frowned. “Yes, but I think the first time is always the hardest. I’m sure it will get better from here. But why _did_ you agree to that? I am okay with going, but I just thought you won’t be comfortable meeting them so soon after tonight.”

Draco thought he was a really lucky wizard to have a partner like Astoria, but he had to go and made things difficult for himself. He made a frustrated noise and said, “I don’t know, ok? Obviously not my brightest idea.”

Astoria brought up her right hand to cup his face. “You handled yourself really well today. You never rose to her bait. And you will be fine tomorrow as well. I will take care of her so that you can ignore her. Now, just relax, my love.” With that, she let go of her dress, which pooled at her feet, and moved her other hand from his face to the waistband of his pyjama bottoms.

But Draco placed his hand on hers to stop her. “I’m sorry, baby. But I just have too many things going on in my mind right now.” He cupped her face with one hand to soften the blow. “I need some time on my own to calm down.”

Astoria’s face fell, but she nodded anyway. Draco gave a small kiss on her lips, and then left the room and headed to the library. This was starting to become a frequent occurrence of late. Just went to show the current state of turmoil in his life.

He closed and locked the door after entering, and went to sit on his favourite seat in front of the fireplace. He felt so angry with himself. He should not have uttered that vile word. He was always letting Astoria down with his words and actions. But more than that, he had let himself down.

After the War had ended, he had vowed to become a better person than what his parents had brought him up to be. One of the things that attracted him to Astoria was that she made him want to be a better person. And he knew he had come a long way from his bigoted past. He was much more sensible now, and had more control over his emotions.

So why did he get so furious at Granger? True, what she had implied was not good, but he had faced much worse even from friendly acquaintances. Yes, he did always tend to blow off on her for no reason. But that was back when he was a spoilt, unhappy child. Now he was all grown up and mature, and he was very happy with a lovely fiancée who loved him very much. So what excuse did he have now?

As he thought more about their dinner, Draco realized quite a few things.

Firstly, Potter was very cordial with him. He was formal in his interactions with him, but Draco thought he could count on Potter to be fair to him, which was what ultimately mattered to him. But he did realize that Potter was far from being whipped, contrary to what Astoria had led him to believe. So even with all her best intentions, Ginny Weasley was not turning out to be a very strong ally.

Yes, she did secure him a meeting with the Ministry, but that was not a huge step in itself when you consider the fact that only Malfoy Potions had the ready-to-market cure. The Ministry would want to show the public that they are seriously looking into every available option, before choosing the best one.

No, they needed Ginny Weasley to push their proposal through, which Draco was no longer sure she could accomplish. In fact, Potter had clearly known that his best friends would be joining them, yet he had kept his girlfriend out of the loop.

On the other hand, Weasley seemed very caring towards his girlfriend. At least, he _thought_ Granger and Weasley were dating. He knew that they had gotten together right after the War. But he hardly kept tabs on the Golden Trio when he was in France. It was only recently that he had started digging into their lives.

What he found was that Potter had joined the Auror training right after the War, and had risen very quickly through the ranks. He was currently the Deputy Head Auror, and was sure to take over as the Head Auror after his boss Robards retired, which would not be more than a few years away.

Weasley had joined the Chudley Cannons as a Keeper, and was currently the Captain of his team. He did lead his team to a lot of League titles over the last three years.

But he mostly drew a blank when it came to Granger. He found out that she had gone back to Hogwarts to get her Newts. But after graduating from Hogwarts, she did not take up a Ministry job. He had found a few news articles which mentioned something about her owning a Research Lab. But what that Lab researched on was anybody’s guess. It was shrouded in a lot of secrecy.

Although she did not join the Ministry as an employee, she had a lot of influence in the British political circles. It was largely rumoured that the Reform Council was primarily her and Potter’s brainchild.

Even though all three members of the Golden Trio chose vastly different professional lives, there was one thing common to all of them. They all led their private lives away from the public eye. Even Weasley, being a Quidditch player, led a very quiet existence.

But girlfriend or not, Draco was sure Weasley held a lot of regard for Granger. And Potter was clearly in cahoots with the Golden Girl. So it all kind of ultimately led back to Granger. Draco was quite sure his fortunes now largely depended on Granger’s opinion. So whether he liked it or not, he had to get the Gryffindor Princess on his side.

This was of course easier said than done, going by tonight’s events. Granger was a brilliant witch no doubt, but tonight he had seen a different, manipulative side to her. She had appeared quite unexpectedly, and thrown him off his game somewhat. But rest assured, next time he would not be so easily bested.

With renewed determination, he decided that he won’t let Granger keep him away from his own home. He felt a surge of hope in his chest and leaned his head back against the back of the chair, when he saw something from the corner of his eyes. It was the book that he had taken out this morning and left behind on the side table. He picked up the book with a wry smile, and traced his hand over the letters of the book title on the front cover – ‘Hogwarts A History’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, we get to see what the Gryffindor Princess has been up to. I think a change in POV is in order. 
> 
> All Harry Potter characters belong to J. K. Rowling. Only the plot of this fanfiction belongs to me.


	5. Never his equal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, apologies to those who have been following this story for this unexceptionally long delay. I just couldn't shape up this chapter to the way I wanted it. So I pushed through and here it is. I have made some minor edits in previous chapters about Astoria belonging to the sacred Twenty-Eight, though the plot remains completely unchanged. We are introduced to Hermione's side of things in this chapter. Hope you like it.

Hermione breathed in the fresh morning air and took a moment to enjoy the peace and tranquillity surrounding her. She didn’t think there would ever come a day when she wouldn’t be struck by the beauty of this place, no matter how often she visited, which was almost every day.

 

It was quite by chance that she stumbled across this place. On their Horcrux hunt almost six years ago, they had passed through a nearby area, which was a vast expanse of deserted open fields.

 

When she was looking for an obscure place to set up her research facility, this place came to her mind and she immediately apparated there. But she required a water source near her research facility, and so she started scouring the area using tracking charms, and located a small river with a waterfall in a deeply wooded area a few miles from the place where she had apparated to.

 

After that it took a month for her, Harry and Ron to set up her facility using magic. Ever since then, only the three of them knew the exact location of the facility, except her employees who were placed under a magical contract to not reveal its location to anyone.

 

But even in the midst of this idyllic scene, her mind was not at peace. The Dragon Pox situation had become precarious, and she was worried that she was running out of time and any time now, the situation could escalate beyond her control. She had not felt this helpless for a very long time.

 

And not for the first time she questioned her decision to not accept Draco Malfoy’s proposal. The Hermione of old would have instantly jumped at the chance to relieve numerous people from their misery. But she was not that person anymore. The war had made sure of that. Gone was the girl who would strive to free house-elves the moment she came to know of their plight, without due consideration to the possible ramifications of such an action.

 

The Hermione of today did not take impulsive emotional decisions, and appraised a situation from every possible angle. She knew if they accepted Malfoy’s cure and made him the sole Potions supplier to St. Mungo’s, then all the small Potions suppliers who had set up shop after the War would be out of business. And she shuddered to think what would happen if a Malfoy held monopoly over such a crucial industry again.

 

But she would be lying if she said it was not personal at all. After experiencing and learning so much at such an young age, and gaining maturity thereafter, she had learnt to be proud of her accomplishments. She had realized that even the most accomplished people were not without their flaws, and she had grown to accept her shortcomings as a part of what made her her. The result was a confident and self-assured young witch, who was sure of her place in the world, both Wizarding as well as Muggle.

 

Yet sometimes, her old securities would make an appearance with a vengeance. Like last night, after meeting Malfoy and his fiancée. Here she was, having had to suffer through so much and sacrifice so much at such an young age, in order to reach where she was today, and still a lot of people doubted her abilities just because she lacked a rich magical lineage. Whereas people like Malfoy had it so easy even after committing such heinous crimes, just because they carried a famous last name. Not only did he not get punished for his crimes, he was still as rich as ever, if not richer, and highly successful to boot. And the icing on the cake, he was happily engaged to a perfect Pureblood eye-candy. As if life could not get any more perfect.

 

Hermione clearly remembered Malfoy had always studiously avoided interacting with her directly throughout their schooling years, even though he was relentless in his bullying of Harry and Ron. She was never considered worthy of even his hatred. And he still had that disdainful attitude towards her last night. Of course, his attentions were only reserved for rich, Pureblood princesses like Astoria Greengrass with their cheerful dispositions and oh-so-generous charities, who probably never faced a single day of hardship in their entire life. Even Ginny was more deserving of his attention simply by being a Pureblood, never mind old family rivalries. But she, Hermione Granger, with her stellar academic achievements, War Heroine status and Order of Merlin First Class, was still not worthy of being treated as his equal.

 

Well, so be it. She would make sure that Malfoy would not have it easy this time around. It was time for _him_ to prove _his_ worthiness to _her_.

 

Coming out of her musings, she took another deep breath and waved her wand to create a small opening in the midst of the waterfall. A set of stones rose up to the surface of the river, paving a path from where she stood to an opening in the waterfall.

 

She stepped over them to reach the opening, and as soon as she stepped on the landing beyond the opening, the area was lit up by magical flames dancing on the sconces situated on the walls on either side of a tunnel which led downwards through a set of stone steps.

 

The stairs went almost two floors down to end at a stone wall. Hermione tapped a pattern on the stone wall, and the stone wall melted away to reveal a reception area, which basically served as the office of the Centre Manager, since they never had any guests visiting. When she stepped in, the stone wall resealed itself, and Hermione looked around the empty space.

 

There was a corridor next to the reception area, which housed the administrative section consisting of meeting rooms, a huge library and an office for every one of her researchers. Hermione had the largest office, with a sitting area, a huge desk, a personal library, a small kitchenette and a private loo. She would practically live there whenever she was deep in some research project.

 

She bypassed the entire section and reached the end of the corridor, where it branched off further into two corridors on her either side. Each side housed two departments. The left side housed the Charms and Spells Development Centre, and the Muggle Science Division; the right side was for the Inventive Potions Unit, and the Dark Magic Research Centre.

 

She turned right and entered the first door, where she knew she would find her Potions team at work. After crossing the lobby and completing the necessary check-in procedures, she opened the door to the main lab area, and immediately spotted her Head of Potions, Walter Shanks.

 

Walter was a short bald man in his mid-forties, with round glasses and a brown but greying French beard. He had become a Potions Master at the age of twenty-two, and used to run a successful Apothecary in a Wizarding village near Sussex, till his shop was destroyed during the Second Wizarding War.

 

Hermione smiled when she saw that Walter had not even noticed her arrival. He was currently bent over a thick tome, his brows furrowed in deep concentration.

 

“Why am I not surprised to find you here on a Sunday?” Hermione asked in an amused tone.

 

Walter was startled at her voice, but relaxed when he saw her. He gave her a kind smile and said, “I could say the same to you.”

 

Hermione shook her head good-naturedly. “I am just stopping by to see if there is any update on the situation. Whereas you, I am sure, are planning to spend the rest of the day here.”

 

Walter gave a deep sigh. “You know as well as I do that we are running out of time here. I am trying my best here, but I fear it will not be enough.”

 

Hermione leaned back against the desk next to Walter and placed her hands on the desk on either side of her. She looked up at the ceiling and started thinking through her options.

 

Ever since the Dragon Pox outbreak, Hermione was trying to develop a cure independently in her Research Lab. If she succeeded, they would no longer need Malfoy’s cure and he could shove his proposal up his arse.

 

So far the prospects were not looking too good, considering their time constraints. Walter was a genius in his field, and with the aid of Hermione, he had quickly studied the chemical properties of uranium, which was found in the blood samples of all the Dragon Pox victims. He had found out a way to counteract the harmful effects of uranium on the victims’ body using magical ingredients and a wizard’s or a witch’s natural magical immunity.

 

But he had not been able to figure out how the uranium was affecting the magic of the victims, because apparently nobody in the history of the Wizarding World had ever tried to find out the basic science underlying the magical core of witches and wizards.

 

So in time, if the uranium depleted the magical core of the victims, then they would essentially turn into squibs. As if the further reduction in the magical population was not grave enough, the depletion of the magical core would mean that the victims would no longer be magically immune to the physical effects of uranium as well, which could ultimately cause their death.

 

Hermione had spent most of her time for the past two months on researching magical cores, but had yet to attain any conclusive result.

 

Hermione turned to Walter again, who had gone back to his reading but looked up when she started speaking. “Here’s a thought. So the core of our wands is attuned to our magical cores, right? Now we have no way of extracting our magical cores. But we could extract the wand cores, and send them to Charms and Spells to analyse them.”

 

Walter stroked his chin in thought. “It is a possible avenue that can be explored. But it is a pretty desperate measure with no guaranteed results. Not to mention that the victims will hardly be amenable to giving up their wands.”

 

Hermione knew this to be an understatement. Asking a witch or wizard to give up their wand was like asking them to give up a part of themselves. But desperate times called for desperate measures. “Well, wands can always be replaced, but not their magic or their life. We just need to make them understand that. I know, easier said than done. But it’s not like we have any better option at the moment.”

 

With that, Hermione pushed off of the desk, and gave Walter a decisive look. “Go home, Walter. You can do your reading at home. I will ask CSDC to start working on this first thing tomorrow morning. We need to start afresh and you need to be well-rested for that.” Hermione’s tone suggested that it wasn’t a request from her end. “Call me if you have any update in the meantime. If not, I will see you tomorrow morning.” With that, Hermione nodded at him and turned around to leave.

 

As soon as Hermione reached the river bank on the outside, she checked the time to see that it was just quarter to seven. Satisfied that she was right on schedule, she apparated to a warehouse near an abandoned dockyard, in a desolate area in London. The warehouse had Muggle-repelling charms and strong protective wards around it.

 

She walked up to the dilapidated building, and went to a side entrance. The wards shimmered around her as they recognized her magical signature, and the door opened on its own.

 

Even after the war had ended, Hermione had not forgotten Moody’s wise words - ‘constant vigilance’. Although the escaped Death-Eaters were slowly and steadily being rounded up since the war ended, they would still sometimes receive reports of stray Death-Eater attacks. And she was also wary of any new threats that could arise in future, and as always believed in being prepared before-hand.

 

So she had convinced Harry and Ron to found a Duelling Club. Apart from the three of them, there were a few other witches and wizards in the Club, mostly top Aurors and former members of the Dumbledore’s Army. They even had retired Auror strategists to oversee their training and progress.

 

Hermione spent a minimum of four hours every weekend in the Club, and Harry always joined her unless he was out of town on some Auror mission.

 

The left side of the warehouse had a row of doors which led to separate Duelling rooms. On the right side, there were showers and changing rooms in the front, and a state-of-the-art gym in the middle. Right at the back was a large room spanning the entire length of the building, which was used for group training activities.

 

As she entered the changing area, she saw Harry waiting for her in front of the men’s section. He was leaning against the wall with his arms and legs crossed. Hermione put her hands on her hips and gave him an exasperated look. “Don’t tell me we are pairing up _again_. Harry, we need to pair up with other people if we want to improve. We _always_ end up duelling each other.”

 

Harry straightened up and walked up to her with a scowl on his face. “You know there is no one else here who can give either of us any competition. It’s much better that we keep each other on our toes and keep our reflexes sharp.”

 

Hermione could not deny the truth in that statement. It was true that no one ever came even close to their level of duelling. While Harry was a natural, Hermione was the one with the clever tricks and strategies. And both were very deft with their wand-wielding. But Hermione knew Harry was also looking to even the scores today, since she beat him quite comprehensively yesterday. That was another thing. They were both extremely ambitious and competitive.

 

Hermione rolled her eyes at her best friend. “Your humility astounds me, Harry Potter.” Harry grinned at that. “I don’t believe that I have to remind _you_ , a top Auror, that it’s not just about how good you are with your wand. We should be able to read an unknown person’s mind, and anticipate their moves, and we are too familiar with each other’s styles of duelling.”

 

Hermione knew that was a weak argument even as she voiced it. One of their many training exercises was to duel another club member who would change their appearance into that of a stranger with the help of Polyjuice Potion, to have that slight element of surprise and unknown factor.

 

And Harry scoffed at that. “Like the other members of the DA are any different in that regard. Now stop making excuses and get ready to get your ass handed to you.”

 

After that, they went on to duel for an hour, during which Hermione didn’t exactly get her ass handed to her, but Harry had pushed her pretty hard, and she was quite exhausted by the end of it.

 

Once they showered and changed into their attire for the Quidditch match, they apparated together to a back alley in Muggle London, from where they proceeded to a café to meet Andromeda Tonks and Teddy Lupin.

 

As they entered the café, Hermione spotted Andy at their usual secluded table at the back, away from the street. She seemed to be engrossed in a particularly animated conversation with her grandson, which brought a fond smile to Hermione’s face.

 

Hermione often thought it was ironic that the person who bore such close resemblance to the object of her nightmares, was the one who helped her cope with those very fears. After the War and before restoring her parents’ memories, Hermione had gotten very close to Andy, who she looked up to as a parental figure in the absence of her own parents. But their relationship went beyond that.

 

Being a Slytherin, Andy identified with Hermione’s ambitious side. Due to her Pureblood upbringing, Andy had an innate knowledge of ancient Wizarding customs and Pureblood politics. So when Hermione decided to dabble in politics and help reform the Ministry, which was then mostly under the control of old Wizarding families, Andy had assumed the role of her mentor and proved to be a great asset when it came to strategizing.

 

So Hermione had planned before hand to meet up with Andy today to brief her on her meeting with Malfoy.

 

As soon as Teddy spotted his godfather, he beamed and squealed with a hopeful expression, “Uncle Harry! Aunt Minny! Can I come to the Quidditch match with you?”

 

Harry ruffled Teddy’s brown hair, and said in a regretful tone, “Sorry buddy. We’ll all be busy and there will be no one to keep you company. Next time, yeah?”

 

Teddy relented with a disappointed frown. And as kids his age are wont to do, he got over it very quickly and started chatting about his recent visit to a Muggle amusement park.

 

It was times like these when Hermione felt truly contented. She had a special place in her heart for Teddy. His innocence chased away all her worries and negative thoughts, and made her feel like her old self, the idealistic girl who always saw the good in everyone.

 

After they finished their breakfast in the midst of incessant chatter from Teddy, Harry got up to leave. He was to drop Teddy off at the Burrow, where he would be spending the day with the other Weasley kids. The two witches hugged Teddy goodbye.

 

“See you at the stadium, Mione. Goodbye, Andy.” And with a wave, Harry headed out of the cafe with a bouncing Teddy in tow.

 

As soon as they left, Hermione cast a wandless and wordless _Muffliato_ around their table. She also cast a mild Muggle repelling charm, so as not to be disturbed by the waiting staff of the café.

 

Andy smirked and said, “Am I right in assuming you have interesting information to share today?”

 

Hermione shrugged. “Well, Malfoy has agreed to provide the cure, but only on one condition. He wants to get back the old Malfoy contract with St. Mungo’s”

 

Andy frowned at that. “Obviously, he would want something in return. He’s a Malfoy after all. But did he say why he asked for this particularly?”

 

“Something about covering for his losses for the cure, which he is willing to sell at a subsidized rate.”

 

Andy had a pensive look on her face. “Interesting.”

 

Hermione nodded, “Exactly. The contract thing, I can understand. He is a Malfoy, they never do anything out of the goodness of their heart. But that won’t be required in the first place, if he just sells the cure at its actual price.”

 

Andy furrowed her brows and thought for a while. “He could be trying to oust the competition. After all, he doesn’t know that only he has the fully developed cure, which has been tested successfully.”

 

Hermione shook her head. “He knows, which is what makes his offer even more surprising. But that’s not all. Last night, I observed him carefully. I baited him quite a few times, but he never took it. Of course, we are all grown up and past our school bickering days. But he looked like he was determined to make nice with us. Now if it was a simple case of just one deal, he wouldn’t care so much, especially as he doesn’t seem to need the money. He looked like someone with a long-term plan.”

 

Andy cocked her head at Hermione. “You’re saying he wants to come back to England for good?”

 

“That seems the most plausible explanation. Question is, why now, after all this time?” Hermione started theorising aloud. “Maybe his engagement had something to do with this?”

 

 “What makes you think that?”

 

Hermione shrugged at that. “Nothing. It was just a thought.”

 

Andy gave her a shrewd look. “You never just have a thought, Hermione.” When Hermione didn’t reply, she continued, “So how is this fiancée of his like?”

 

“The perfect arm candy, of course. But she is no bimbo, that’s for sure. In fact she seemed quite nice. What she saw in Malfoy is beyond me.” Except for his drop-dead gorgeous looks, but Hermione kept that to herself.

 

“I have heard rumours that my nephew is quite easy on the eyes.”

 

Hermione knew Andy was watching her very closely for her reaction. “It’s not the looks department that Malfoy lacks in. It’s his personality, which is atrocious at best.”

 

Andy chuckled. “So I’ve heard.”

 

“Anyway coming to Astoria, she has her strong points. I mean, she did put Ginny under her spell in just under two months. But Malfoy definitely seems to have a mind of his own.”

 

Andy scoffed aloud. “Manipulating Ginny isn’t a great attestation of somebody’s cunning.”

 

Hermione nodded. “That may be true. In any case, I intend to find out more today. I have a gut feeling the timing of their return isn’t without reason.”

 

Andy looked surprised. “Ron managed to pull it off?”

 

Hermione smirked at that. “That man was in top form yesterday. He not just lied impressively about our presence there, but also lured them to today’s match. Though on second thought, they may have guessed we were planning to show up all along. I mean, Astoria brought up the cure matter right in front of us, and they never looked surprised or offended when I joined in the discussion. And let’s face it, Harry isn’t exactly subtle”

 

Andy laughed at that. “That’s true.” Then she turned serious before saying, “But if what you are saying is true, and Draco Malfoy does intend to come back to England for good, then it does not bode well for us. He has deep pockets, Hermione. Any disruption he causes in the business should be enough to worry us. But more than that, I am concerned about how he is going to influence the Ministry. Always remember my dear, a Malfoy can never stay away from politics for too long.”

 

Hermione bent her head to hide the look of hatred that she was sure was showing on her face then. “I’ll be damned before I let a Pureblood walk all over me again.” She suddenly became aware of her company. “No offence.”

 

Andy just smiled gently. “None taken sweetheart. But those are just words Hermione. Remember, Draco was raised to play this game since his birth. He’s definitely quite well versed in this. You have to try and out-think him every step of the way, and that will be quite a challenge.”

 

It was Hermione’s turn to smile at her mentor. She placed her hand on Andy’s and said with genuine affection, “Well, I have you with me. That should count for something, right?”

 

Andy squeezed her hand. “I hope so. Anyway, you should get going. Don’t want to be late now, do you?”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Well, here we are. Hey, Hermione.” Hermione turned around in her seat at the front row on hearing Ginny’s voice and spotted Ginny in her Quidditch uniform, followed by Astoria and Malfoy. Ginny was obviously showing her guests to their seats.

 

Hermione was wearing her sunglasses, not just as a force of habit but also to observe her surroundings without being caught doing so. As they walked up to her, Hermione noticed that every eye in their private box was turned towards Malfoy with an appreciative look, even male ones. And she couldn’t blame them. He looked exceptionally attractive in a pair of grey slacks and a black button down fitted shirt with the top two buttons open and the sleeves rolled up to his elbow, which hinted at broad shoulders and a lean toned physique. A quick glance at his left arm told her that a glamour charm hid his Dark mark. But it wasn’t just his looks which drew everyone’s attention. His whole confident and aristocratic demeanour exuded an aura of wealth and power.

 

Hermione got up and greeted Ginny with a hug. “Hey, Gin.” Then she turned to Astoria with a polite smile, “Hello there. Glad you could make it.”

 

Astoria was all smiles and grace as she returned Hermione’s greeting. Then Hermione said in Malfoy’s general direction, “Malfoy.” To which, he just gave the smallest of nods.

 

Hermione’s mood instantly soured at that. But her face never betrayed any sullenness. Instead she turned to Ginny with a bright and genuine smile. “You better get going Gin. And best of luck. Give them hell, yeah?”

 

Ginny laughed at that and went off after a quick goodbye to them. As soon as they took their seats, Malfoy conjured two pairs of sunglasses seemingly out of nowhere and the couple put them on.

 

The game started shortly after that and Astoria proceeded to engage Hermione in conversation, which mainly centred around her various charities and sometimes, French fashion and cuisine. Not that Hermione minded especially. Astoria had a pleasant personality and Hermione liked her well enough. But her chosen topics of conversation didn’t really appeal to Hermione and she grew bored pretty soon.

 

At times, she would turn to her fiancé, and the couple would whisper to each other with smiles on their faces, looking like the perfect couple in love. Hermione even spotted them holding hands at times. But apart from that, Malfoy kept to himself and concentrated on the game, ignoring Hermione completely.

 

Hermione internally smirked at that. So Malfoy was letting his fiancée do the unpleasant work of bringing the Mudblood around. Well, he’s in for a major surprise then, if he thinks this chit of a girl can charm Hermione Granger with her sweet words and sweeter smiles.

 

The game ended very quickly after just over an hour, with Harry predictably catching the snitch. Hermione asked Astoria if she would like to accompany her to the pitch to congratulate the winning team. Astoria instantly agreed and the three made their way to the pitch where the players were all gathered for the presentation and speeches.

 

When they arrived at the edge of the pitch, Hermione saw Harry and Ron being surrounded by a few teenagers who were looking at them with open admiration. They were war orphans, who had been specially invited to the match and who would receive the proceeds from it.

 

She made her way to Ginny but was quickly surrounded by some of the teenagers before she could reach her friend. She smiled politely at them, and was about to extract herself from the group, when she heard someone shout in a furious voice, “Filthy Death Eater. What are _you_ doing here?”

 

Hermione instantly went on alert, and pushed her way through to where Malfoy and Astoria stood at the edge of the crowd. A young boy of barely fifteen was standing in front of Malfoy with his wand pointed menacingly at the blonde, who was standing in front of his fiancée and shielding her with his body. His body was tense and he was clutching his wand tightly, but it seemed more as a precaution since he was not standing in a duelling stance.

 

Astoria was clutching her wand too, and she looked scared as she whimpered, “Draco, use your wand dammit.”

 

Hermione cried out, “No! Nobody uses their wand. Let’s calm down everyone.” Then she turned to the boy and said, “Listen to me. It’s fine. Just relax and put down your wand. We don’t want anyone to get hurt right?”

 

But the boy continued to point his wand at Malfoy in a threatening manner.

 

Astoria cried hysterically, “Don’t you see? He’s not listening. Just take him out dammit, he’s dangerous.”

 

Malfoy never took his eyes off the boy but he addressed his fiancée. “Calm down, sweetheart. I’m fine. Just stay back.”

 

Astoria then pleaded with her fiancé. “Please Draco, he doesn’t seem right.” Then she looked at Hermione and yelled, “Do something.”

 

And just then the boy seemed to snap, and he sent a _Diffindo_ towards Malfoy, but Hermione was too quick for him and she deflected the curse easily even as Malfoy raised a shield. No sooner had Malfoy lowered his shield than a red light shot from behind Malfoy and hit the boy. It was a severe slicing hex, and the boy cried out in agony and dropped his wand. Within moments, his upper body was covered in blood.

 

Hermione wasted no time in reaching the boy’s side and instantly she recognized the curse. The boy was convulsing in pain, and Hermione knelt down beside him and waved her wand over the boy’s torso and chanted the counter-curse. Slowly the blood vanished and the wounds were healed, but by that time the boy had passed out.

 

As soon as Hermione got up to her feet, a man who Hermione knew to be the organizer of the event came up to them with another man in tow, whom he instructed to carry the unconscious boy to St. Mungo’s.

 

At that moment, Hermione became aware of a whimpering voice coming from behind her and she turned around to see Astoria cuddled in Malfoy’s arms and sobbing hysterically. “I’m sorry, Draco. He was threatening you and I was just so scared. I just lost it, Draco.”

 

Hermione felt a furious rage bubbling up inside her and then she heard Malfoy reply, “Hush, baby. Relax, it’s fine. I’m right here, safe and sound. No harm done, right?”

 

And then, she saw red.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my take on how the war could have affected Hermione. Let me know your thoughts. Cheers!
> 
> All Harry Potter characters belong to J. K. Rowling. Only the plot of this fanfiction belongs to me.


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